KR101304136B1 - Near-field communication (nfc) system providing plug-in device connection assistance features and related methods - Google Patents

Abstract

The near field communication (NFC) system includes a plug-in device with a first NFC sensor and a mobile wireless communication device. The mobile wireless communications device includes a portable housing defining a plug-in device port, a light source supported by the portable housing and positioned to illuminate the plug-in device port, an optical sensor supported by the portable housing and configured to determine the ambient light level, And a second NFC sensor supported by the portable housing and configured to establish NFC communication with the first NFC sensor when in proximity to the first NFC sensor. The controller is supported by the portable housing and coupled to the light source, the light sensor and the second NFC sensor and configured to cause the light source to illuminate the plug-in device port in accordance with the ambient light level and NFC communication between the first and second NFC sensors. do.

Description

Near Field Communication (NFC) systems and associated methods that provide plug-in device access aids {NEAR-FIELD COMMUNICATION (NFC) SYSTEM PROVIDING

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the field of communications, and more particularly, to an electronic device and a related method using near field communication (NFC).

Mobile communication systems continue to grow in popularity and are becoming an integral part of personal and business communications. Various mobile devices now have personal digital assistant (PDA) features such as calendars, address books, task lists, calculators, memo and record programs, media players, games, and the like. Such multifunctional devices generally not only enable the transmission and reception of electronic mail (email) messages wirelessly, but also allow access to the Internet, for example, via cellular networks and / or wireless local area networks (WLANs).

Some mobile devices are equipped with contactless card technology and / or near field communication (NFC) chips. NFC technology is used for contactless short-range communications based on radio frequency identification (RFID) standards that use magnetic field induction to enable communication between electronic devices, including mobile wireless communication devices. The short range high frequency wireless communication technology transmits and receives data between devices in a short distance of several centimeters.

With the widespread adoption of NFC technology, NFC technology is now being used in conjunction with portable wireless communication devices associated with other short range wireless communications, such as wireless Bluetooth connections. For example, NFC connections are often used to establish a wireless Bluetooth connection that communicates data to establish a Bluetooth connection.

In a near field communication (NFC) system comprising at least one plug-in device having a first NFC sensor and a mobile radio communication device, the plug-in device port of the mobile radio communication device may be changed according to an ambient light level. It is an object of the present invention to provide an NFC system that facilitates lighting of at least one plug-in device into at least one plug-in device port.

Generally speaking, the near field communication (NFC) system described herein includes at least one plug-in device with a first NFC sensor, and a mobile wireless communication device. More specifically, the mobile wireless communications device includes a portable housing defining at least one plug-in device port, at least one light source supported by the portable housing and positioned to illuminate the at least one plug-in device port; And an optical sensor supported by the housing and configured to determine the ambient light level, and a second NFC sensor configured to establish NFC communication with the first NFC sensor when supported by the portable housing and in proximity to the first NFC sensor. The mobile wireless communication device is supported by the portable housing and coupled to the at least one light source, the light sensor and the second NFC sensor, wherein the at least one light source is at least dependent on the NFC communication and the ambient light level between the first NFC sensor and the second NFC sensor. It may also include a controller configured to illuminate one plug-in device port. Thus, the at least one plug-in device port can be poorly lit so that the at least one plug-in device can be properly controlled and systematically plugged in according to the ambient light level.

More specifically, the controller may be configured to cause the at least one light source to illuminate the at least one plug-in device port according to the NFC communication between the first NFC sensor and the second NFC sensor and the ambient light level below the threshold light source level. . The controller may also be configured to cause the at least one light source to illuminate the at least one plug-in device port at a different brightness depending on the NFC communication between the first NFC sensor and the second NFC sensor and the ambient light level. Furthermore, the controller may be configured to cause the at least one light source to change the illumination of the at least one plug-in device port based on the connection of the at least one plug-in device to the at least one plug-in device port. .

The mobile wireless communications device can also include a display supported by the portable housing and coupled to the controller. Thus, the controller may be configured to cause the display to indicate a position indicator of the at least one plug-in device port when the at least one light source illuminates the at least one plug-in device port. In addition, the controller may be configured to determine whether the at least one plug-in device and the at least one plug-in device port are incompatible and, if incompatible, cause the display to display an incompatible indicator.

The at least one plug-in device may in some embodiments comprise a plurality of different plug-in devices, and the at least one plug-in device port may comprise a plurality of different plug-in device ports. Thus, the controller may be configured to cause the at least one light source to illuminate a given one plug-in device port based on the NFC communication between the second NFC sensor and the first NFC sensor of each plug-in device type. For example, at least one light source may include at least one light emitting diode (LED). In addition, the at least one plug-in device may include at least one universal serial bus (USB) cable, and the at least one plug-in device port may include at least one USB port. Furthermore, the mobile wireless communications device can also include a wireless transceiver coupled to the controller and configured to communicate over a wireless communications network.

Related mobile wireless communication devices such as those briefly described above are also provided. An electronic device is also provided, which is used with at least one plug-in device that includes a first NFC sensor. The electronic device includes a housing defining at least one plug-in device port, at least one light source supported by the housing and positioned to illuminate the at least one plug-in device port, supported by the housing and to determine an ambient light level. And a second NFC sensor configured to establish NFC communication with the first NFC sensor when supported by the housing and in proximity to the first NFC sensor. The electronic device is also supported by the housing and coupled to the at least one light source, the light sensor and the second NFC sensor, the at least one light source being at least one depending on the NFC communication and the ambient light level between the first and second NFC sensors. It may include a controller configured to illuminate the plug-in device port.

The related method relates to using at least one plug-in device and a mobile wireless communication device as briefly described above. The method includes establishing NFC communication between the first NFC sensor and the second NFC sensor when in proximity to each other, determining an ambient light level using an optical sensor, and NFC between the first NFC sensor and the second NFC sensor. Illuminating at least one plug-in device port in accordance with the communication and ambient light levels.

In accordance with the present invention, at least one plug-in device port is suitably illuminated to allow the at least one plug-in device to be properly controlled and systematically plugged in according to the ambient light level.

1 is a schematic block diagram of a near field communication (NFC) system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
2 is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of the NFC system of FIG.
3 is a front view of an exemplary implementation of the system of FIG. 1 in which the illustrated mobile wireless communications device provides a location indicator for a plug-in cable.
4 is a front view of another exemplary implementation of the system of FIG. 1 in which the illustrated mobile wireless communications device provides an incompatibility indicator for a plug-in cable.
5-7 are flow diagrams illustrating method aspects associated with the system of FIGS. 1-4.
FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram illustrating exemplary components of a mobile wireless communications device that can be used in the NFC system of FIGS.

The invention is explained in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate exemplary embodiments. However, many other embodiments may be used and therefore the invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and prime marks are used to indicate similar elements and steps in other embodiments.

First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a near field communication (NFC) system 30 includes a plug-in device 31 having a first NFC sensor or circuit 32, and a second NFC sensor or circuit ( A mobile wireless communication device 33 having a 35 (also referred to herein as a "mobile device"). For example, various types of plug-in devices may be used, such as cables, memory devices, portable flash devices, portable media players, projectors, headphones, external keypads, etc., which devices may be plug-in devices of mobile devices or other electronic devices. It is adapted in another way to connect to the port.

NFC is a short-range variant of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology that typically operates at about 13.56 MHz. NFC technology is a technology that allows wireless devices to establish a wireless connection in the range of up to about 20 cm between a mobile device with a built-in NFC chip set and an ISO 14443 reader, allowing the devices to communicate by passing close together. NFC is a standardization technology used in various applications such as mobile banking, ticketing, physical security access, and the like. Mobile device 33 may also include additional wireless capabilities over NFC in some embodiments, as described in detail below, but this is not required in all embodiments. Exemplary mobile devices include portable or personal media players (eg, MP3 players, video players, etc.), remote controllers (eg, televisions or stereo remotes, etc.), handheld gaming devices, portable mobile phones, smartphones, and the like. do.

Mobile device 33 includes a portable housing 34 that defines a plug-in device port 36. By way of example, the plug-in device port may be a universal serial bus (USB) or micro USB port, headphone port, or the like. The second NFC sensor 35 is supported by the portable housing 34. Beginning at block 50, the second NFC sensor 35 is configured to establish NFC communication with the first NFC sensor 32 (blocks 51-52) when in close proximity to the first NFC sensor 32 as described above. . The first and second NFC sensors 32, 35 may operate in passive or active NFC mode in other embodiments. A light source 37, such as a light emitting diode, is also supported by the portable housing 34 and positioned to illuminate the plug-in device port 36 as described in detail later. In addition, an optical sensor 38 is supported by the portable housing 34, which is configured to determine the ambient light level, ie, the light level of the environment surrounding the mobile device 33 (block 53).

The mobile device 33 also includes a controller 39 supported by the portable housing 34 and coupled to the light source 37, the light sensor 38 and the second NFC sensor 35. The controller 39 may cause the optical sensor 38 to perform ambient light level determination or measurement in response to, for example, the first and second NFC sensors 32 and 35 that engage in an NFC communication relationship. This is done only when the ambient light level measurement is needed, which has the advantage of helping to save power. However, in some embodiments, the ambient light level measurement may be performed intermittently or periodically, for example. Ambient light level measurement may also be used to control other functions, such as setting the brightness level of the display, to provide an appropriate display illumination for the environment in which the mobile device 33 is located.

The controller 39 causes the light source 37 to illuminate (block 54) the plug-in device port 36 according to the NFC communication between the first NFC sensor 32 and the second NFC sensor 35 and the ambient light level. Can be configured. This terminates the method shown in FIG. 5 (block 55), but depending on the implementation the steps may be repeated for plug-in operation of subsequent devices. This can be difficult in a relatively dark environment to find a port on a mobile device (e.g. USB, headset, etc.) and insert or plug-in the plug-in device into the port in a controlled or systematic manner. This may be particularly advantageous in that the lighting of the mobile device display is typically not directive to properly illuminate the side, top, back or floor of the mobile device in which the ports are located.

Referring to FIG. 6, by way of example, the controller 39 optionally illuminates the plug-in device port 36 when the ambient light level is below the threshold light level (blocks 56 'and 54'). You can do that. Thus, if the mobile device 33 is located in a bright lighting environment (e.g., in a brightly lit room, directly outside the sun, etc.) and the measured ambient light level is above a certain threshold light level, the plug-in It will be easy to find the device port 36 and illumination by the light source 37 need not be provided. However, if the mobile device 33 is located in a poor lighting environment (eg dark room, outdoor at night, etc.) and the measured ambient light level is below a predetermined threshold light level, the controller 39 may plug-in. Light source 37 will illuminate plug-in device port 36 to assist in connection of phosphorus device 31. The threshold light level can be set in various ways. For example, the setting of the threshold light level can be fixed during the manufacturing process. The threshold light level setting may also be a variable setting, and the threshold level may be changed through an on-screen menu generated by the controller 39, for example.

Another advantageous feature is that the controller 39 can change the illumination of the plug-in device port 36 when the plug-in device 31 is connected (blocks 57'-58 '). For example, the illumination level or brightness of the plug-in device port 36 can be changed by reducing the illuminance or by changing the color of the light. Thus, for example, a change in light level or color can provide a visual indication of whether the plug-in device 31 is properly connected, the state of charge, the state of data transmission, and the like. When the plug-in device 31 is disconnected (block 59 '), the controller 39 may cause the light source 37 to stop illuminating the plug-in device port 36 (block 60'). If the NFC communication between the first and second NFC sensors 32 and 35 is established, the plug-in device 31 is connected to the plug-in device port 36 within a predetermined timeout period (ie, a set time period). If not plugged in (block 61 '), controller 39 may also cause light source 37 to stop lighting the plug-in device port (block 60').

Referring now to FIG. 7, another way to illuminate the plug-in device port 36 is for the controller 39 to cause the light source 37 to illuminate the plug-in device port at a different brightness. That is, instead of using the threshold light level to determine whether to illuminate the plug-in device port 36 as described above with respect to FIG. 6, the controller 39 is further adapted to find the port in a bright lighting environment. Use brighter light in dark environments and weaker light in bright environments, depending on whether the bright light is useful and thus allows for better controlled or systematic insertion of the plug-in device into the plug-in device port, for example. Or vice versa. Alternatively, the controller 39 can cause the light source 37 to illuminate the plug-in device port 36 at an appropriate level in accordance with the desired ambient light level.

2, in this example, the mobile device 33 ′ includes a plurality of LED light sources 37a ′, 37 b ′ that respectively illuminate each plug-in device port 36 a ′, 36 b ′. Is shown. In this embodiment, the controller 39 'ensures that suitable light sources 37a', 37b 'are used for NFC communication between the first NFC sensor 31' and the second NFC sensor 35 'of each plug-in device type. To illuminate a predetermined one of the plug-in device ports 36a ', 36b' based on that. Here, the plug-in device 31 'corresponds to the plug-in device port 36a' (that is, they are of the same type), so that the controller 39 'is connected to the plug-in device port 36a'. The plug-in device port 36b ', which is illuminated but of a different type, is not illuminated. For example, plug-in device port 36a 'is a USB port, plug-in device port 36B' is a micro-SD port, and plug-in device 31 'is a USB-based plug-in device port. It is possible to have a USB plug compatible with 36a ', so in this example only the plug-in device port 36a' is illuminated. In the example shown, mobile device 33 'also includes a wireless transceiver 60' (e.g., cellular, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, etc.) that communicates over each type of wireless network as described in detail below. .

Referring now to FIG. 3, an exemplary embodiment of an NFC system 40 is a mobile device having a USB cable 41 with a built-in NFC sensor 42 and a display 44 and a USB port 46. (43). For simplicity of explanation, the illustration of the light sensor, light source, second NFC sensor and controller components of the mobile device 43 is similar to that described above with reference to FIGS. The controller of the mobile device 43 is advantageously configured to cause the display 44 to display a position indicator indicating the position of the plug-in device port 46 when the first and second NFC sensors are in close proximity and commencing communication. In this example, the location indicator may take the form of an arrow 62 on the display 44 indicating the location of the USB port 46, as shown, and a message "Plug the USB cable here". The direction of the message, and arrow 62, can be different for different types of plug-in devices. For example, if the headphone plug with the built-in NFC sensor is close to the mobile device 43, the arrow points to the upper right corner of the display 44 (or other headphone port location) and the message "Plug in the headphones here". "" May be changed. Other location indicators and messages may also be used in other embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 4, a similar system 40 ′ with another style of mobile device 43 with another type of USB connector port 43 ′ that is incompatible with the NFC cable 41 ′ is shown. Thus, NFC communication is established between the first NFC sensor 42 'and the controller of the device 43' is connected to an identifier (ID) or other identification data provided by the first NFC sensor 42 ', for example. On the basis of this, it is determined that the USB cable 41 'and the USB port 46' are incompatible. As such, the controller causes display 44 'to display an incompatibility indicator. In this example, the incompatibility indicator takes the form of the message "Incompatible cable type-do not plug in!". Other embodiments may use other incompatible indicators or messages.

Although location and incompatibility indicators are shown separately in FIGS. 3 and 4 for simplicity of description, it should be noted that the two features may be implemented in the same mobile device in some embodiments. Moreover, in some embodiments, position and incompatibility indicators may be used without light sources 37 and 37 '. That is, in some embodiments, there is no need to separately provide light sources 37, 37 ′, and display 44 or 44 ′ may be used to provide position or incompatibility indicators without illumination of device ports 46, 46 ′. Can be.

It should also be noted that the plug-in device port lighting technique described above can be used with other types of electronic and computing devices in addition to mobile devices. For example, the technology can also be used for electronic devices with housings that do not necessarily need to be portable, such as television equipment, stereo equipment, video game consoles, computers, and the like.

Exemplary components of the mobile wireless communication device 1000 that may be used in accordance with the above-described embodiments are described in detail below with reference to FIG. 8. Device 1000 is shown having a housing 1200, a keypad 1400, and an output device 1600. The output device shown is a display 1600 which may be a full graphic LCD. Alternatively, other types of output devices can be used. The processing device 1800 is contained within the housing 1200 and is coupled between the keypad 1400 and the display 1600. The processing device 1800 controls not only the operation of the display but also the entire operation of the mobile device 1000 in response to the operation of the keys of the keypad 1400.

The housing 1200 can be vertically elongated or take other sizes and shapes (including clamshell housing structures). The keypad may include a mode selection key or other hardware or software for switching between text entry and telephone entry.

In addition to the processing device 1800, other components of the mobile device 1000 are shown schematically in FIG. 8. These components include communication subsystem 1001; Short-range communications subsystem 1020; Keypad 1400 and display 1600, as well as other input / output devices 1060, 1080, 1100, 1120; Memory devices 1160, 1180 and various other device subsystems 1201. The mobile device 1000 may include a two-way RF communication device having data and optionally voice communication capabilities. In addition, the mobile device 1000 may have the ability to communicate with other computer systems via the Internet.

Operating system software executed by processing device 1800 may be stored in persistent storage, such as flash memory 1160, but may be stored in other types of memory devices, such as read-only memory (ROM), or similar storage elements. In addition, system software, special device applications, or portions thereof may be temporarily loaded into volatile storage, such as random access memory (RAM) 1180. The communication signal received by the mobile device may also be stored in the RAM 1180.

The processing device 1800 may execute the software applications 1300A to 1300N in the device 1000 in addition to its operating system functions. A predetermined set of applications that control basic device operations, such as data and voice communications 1300A and 1300B, are installed on the device 1000 during manufacturing. In addition, a personal information manager (PIM) application can be installed during manufacture. PIM can organize and manage data items such as email, calendar events, voice mail, appointments, and work items. The PIM application may also send and receive data items via the wireless network 1401. PIM data items may be constantly integrated, synchronized, and updated with corresponding data items stored in or associated with the host computer system.

Communication functions, including data and voice communications, are performed through the communication subsystem and possible short-range communication subsystems. The communication subsystem 1001 includes a receiver 1500, a transmitter 1520, and one or more antennas 1540, 1560. Communication subsystem 1001 also includes a processing module such as a digital signal processor (DSP) 1580 and a local oscillator (LO) 1601. The particular design and implementation of the communication subsystem 1001 depends on the communication network that the mobile device 1000 intends to operate. For example, mobile device 1000 is designed to work with Mobitex ™, Data TAC ™, or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) mobile data communications networks, as well as AMPS, TDMA, CDMA, WCDMA, It may include a communication subsystem 1001 that is also designed to operate with any of a variety of voice communication networks, such as PCS, GSM, EDGE, and the like. Other types of data and voice networks, whether separate or integrated, may also be used with the mobile device 1000. Mobile device 1000 may also be compatible with other communication standards such as 3GSM, 3GPP, UMTS, 4G, and the like.

Network connection requirements vary depending on the type of communication system. For example, in the Mobitex and data tag networks, mobile devices are registered with the network using a unique personal identification number (PIN) associated with each device. However, in a GPRS network the network connection is associated with the user or subscriber of the device. Therefore, GPRS devices typically involve the use of subscriber identity modules, commonly referred to as SIM cards, to operate in a GPRS network.

When the required network registration or activation procedure is completed, the mobile device 1000 may transmit and receive a communication signal through the communication network 1401. Data received from the communication network 1401 via the antenna 1540 is routed to the receiver 1500 so that the receiver 1500 provides analog to digital conversion as well as providing signal amplification, frequency down conversion, filtering, channel selection, and the like. to provide. Analog-to-digital conversion of the received signal allows the DSP 1580 to perform more complex communication functions such as demodulation and decoding. In a similar manner, signals to be transmitted to the network 1401 are processed (eg, modulated and encrypted) by the DSP 1580 and then provided to the transmitter 1520 to provide digital-to-analog conversion, frequency up conversion, filtering, amplification, And transmission to the communication network 1401 (or network) via the antenna 1560.

In addition to processing communication signals, the DSP 1580 provides control for the receiver 1500 and the transmitter 1520. For example, the gain applied to the communication signal at the receiver 1500 and the transmitter 1520 may be adaptively controlled through an automatic gain control algorithm implemented in the DSP 1580.

In the data communication mode, received signals, such as text messages or web page downloads, are processed by the communication subsystem 1001 and entered into the processing device 1800. The received signal is then further processed by the processing device 1800 for output to the display 1600 or alternatively to any other auxiliary I / O device 1060. The device may also use a keypad 1400 and / or any other auxiliary I / O device 1060, such as a touchpad, rocker switch, thumb-wheel, or any other type of input device. Can be used to organize data items such as email messages. The configured data items may then be transmitted over communication network 1401 via communication subsystem 1001.

In the voice communication mode, the overall operation of the apparatus is substantially similar to the data communication mode, with the difference that the received signal is output to the speaker 1100 and the signal for transmission is generated by the microphone 1120. Other voice or audio I / O subsystems, such as voice message recording subsystems, may also be implemented in device 1000. Furthermore, the display 1600 may also be used in a voice call mode, for example to display the identity of a call party, voice call time, or other voice call related information.

The short range communication subsystem may communicate with the mobile device 1000 and another proximity system or device. The systems do not necessarily need to be similar devices. For example, the short-range communication subsystem may include a Bluetooth ™ communication module that provides communication with infrared devices and associated circuits and components, or similarly enabled systems and devices.

Those skilled in the art will conceive many modifications and other embodiments that will benefit from the embodiments presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. It is, therefore, to be understood that such various modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

30: Near Field Communication (NFC) System
31: plug-in device
32: first NFC sensor
33: mobile wireless communication device
34: portable housing
35: second NFC sensor
36: Plug-in device port
38: light sensor
39: controller

Claims (15)

In a near field communication (NFC) system,
A plurality of different plug-in devices each comprising a separate first NFC sensor, each plug-in device having a respective plug-in device type associated with it; And
A mobile wireless communication device, the mobile wireless communication device,
A housing defining a plurality of different plug-in device ports, each plug-in device port having a respective plug-in device type associated therewith;
At least one light source supported by the housing and positioned to illuminate the plug-in device ports;
An optical sensor supported by the housing and configured to determine an ambient light level;
A second NFC sensor supported by the housing and configured to establish NFC communication with the first NFC sensor when in proximity to the first NFC sensor; And
A controller supported by the housing and coupled to the at least one light source, the optical sensor and the second NFC sensor, the controller having a same plug-in device type as a given plug-in device port; Based on the NFC communication between the first NFC sensor of the device and the second NFC sensor and the ambient light level, the at least one light source causes the given plug-in device port to not illuminate other plug-in device ports. The controller configured to illuminate
To include, the short-range wireless communication system. The method of claim 1,
The controller causes the at least one light source to cause the given plug-in device port based on NFC communication between the first NFC sensor and the second NFC sensor of the given plug-in device and the ambient light level below a threshold light level. Short-range wireless communication system. The short range wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause the at least one light source to illuminate the given plug-in device port at different intensities. The method of claim 1,
The controller is further configured to cause the at least one light source to change illumination to the given plug-in device port based on a physical connection of the given plug-in device port and the given plug-in device port. Wireless communication system. The method of claim 1,
The mobile wireless communications device further comprising a display supported by the housing and coupled to the controller,
The controller is configured to cause the display to display a location indicator indicating a location of the given plug-in device port. The method of claim 1,
The mobile wireless communications device further comprising a display supported by the housing and coupled to the controller,
The controller is further configured to determine whether the given plug-in device and the given plug-in device port are incompatible and, if incompatible, cause the display to display an incompatible indicator. system. delete An electronic device that can be used with a given plug-in device among a plurality of different plug-in devices each including a first near field communication (NFC) sensor, each plug-in device having a respective associated with it; In the electronic device having a plug-in device type of,
A housing defining a plurality of different plug-in device ports, each plug-in device port having a respective plug-in device type associated therewith;
At least one light source supported by the housing and positioned to illuminate the plug-in device ports;
An optical sensor supported by the housing and configured to determine an ambient light level;
A second NFC sensor supported by the housing and configured to establish NFC communication with the first NFC sensor when in proximity to the first NFC sensor; And
A controller supported by the housing and coupled to the at least one light source, the optical sensor and the second NFC sensor, the controller having a same plug-in device type as a given plug-in device port; Based on the NFC communication between the first NFC sensor of the device and the second NFC sensor and the ambient light level, the at least one light source causes the given plug-in device port to not illuminate other plug-in device ports. The controller configured to illuminate
≪ / RTI > 9. The method of claim 8,
The controller causes the at least one light source to cause the given plug-in device port based on NFC communication between the first NFC sensor and the second NFC sensor of the given plug-in device and the ambient light level below a threshold light level. Wherein the electronic device is configured to illuminate. 9. The method of claim 8,
The controller is configured to cause the at least one light source to illuminate the given plug-in device port at different intensities. 9. The method of claim 8,
The controller is further configured to cause the at least one light source to change the illumination of the given plug-in device port based on the physical connection of the given plug-in device port with the given plug-in device port. . A plurality of different plug-in devices and a plurality of different plug-in device ports, each containing a respective first near field communication (NFC) sensor, each plug-in device port being a respective plug associated with it; A housing defining a housing type, at least one light source supported by the housing and positioned to illuminate the plug-in device ports, an optical sensor supported by the housing, and a second supported by the housing. 2 A method of using a mobile wireless communication device comprising an NFC sensor,
Establishing NFC communication between the first NFC sensor and the second NFC sensor of a given plug-in device when in proximity to each other;
Determining an ambient light level using the light sensor; And
Illuminating a given plug-in device port having the same plug-in device type as the given plug-in device without illuminating other plug-in device ports based on the established NFC communication and the ambient light level.
And a plurality of different plug-in devices and a mobile wireless communication device. The method of claim 12,
And said illuminating comprises illuminating said given plug-in device port further based on said ambient light level below a threshold light level. The method of claim 12,
And said illuminating comprises illuminating said given plug-in device port with different luminosities. The method of claim 12,
Changing lighting to the given plug-in device port based on the physical connection of the given plug-in device port and the given plug-in device. Method of Using a Communication Device.

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